by Jon Partridge
So often Doctor Who kick starts a new season with a bang, a fun romp but one tinged with hints of the season to come, a potential arc or looming threat. The Magician’s Apprentice throws not one but two threats at the Doctor within the first few minutes, one we’ve expected — the return of Missy/The Master — the other something more of a surprise.
DAVROS KNOWS, DAVROS REMEMBERS…
Not content with throwing the wonderfully insane Missy back into the show, yes, Davros pops back up again. Creator of the Daleks, long time nemesis of the Doctor, but our first glimpse of him is not what we expect. So often with time travel tales you are hit by the question of if you ever met Hitler as a child, would you kill him? It’s a moral conundrum, and one that Doctor Who has tackled before and returns to yet again here.
The Doctor has disappeared, seemingly avoiding a reckoning. Missy has come into possession of his ‘Confession’, the Time Lord equivalent of his last will and testament signifying his impending end. She recruits Clara to aid in her search for her old enemy/friend, and in doing so stumbles into a plot whereupon Davros seeks to wreak his vengeance upon the Doctor one last time before his own death.
The Magician’s Apprentice harkens back to an old Doctor Who serial that is (rightly) regarded by many as the greatest in the show’s history, Genesis of the Daleks. The Fourth Doctor was sent through time to Skaro, the Daleks’ homeworld, with the mission to wipe out the genocidal race before they even became a threat. Cue a moral dilemma for the Doctor. Essentially, the obliteration of countless planets and loss of his whole race come from his inability to compromise his compassion. A moment of this is shown in the episode, Tom Baker reminding you of his magical gravitas in the role. The relentless march of the Daleks have plagued the Doctor since their creating, and the show occasionally returns to his culpability for their existence.
We don’t just get one villain this episode but two! The Magician’s Apprentice picks up from the end of last season in redefining the Doctor/Missy-Master relationship, or rather rediscovering it after the disastrous John Simm era; something more akin to the Pertwee-Delgado years. These two renegade Time Lords have sparred with each other for thousands of years so it makes sense, but not to Clara, especially with her still stinging from the death of Danny Pink at Missy’s hands. Gomez’s delivery of “How’s the boyfriend? Still terribly dead?” was crushingly magnificent, as was her riposte when asked if she had “turned good.”
Clara’s discovery that the Doctor’s confession, to be passed on to his closest friend, went to Missy instead of her is particularly intriguing to watch. Her character continues to develop and she continues to demonstrate her capable talents, notably in the first act in her dealings as a U.N.I.T. agent. One of the best aspects of the episode was how much time was given over to these two talented actresses together and their rapport. Bodes well for a female Doctor in the future perhaps?
Capaldi continues to craft a fascinating character. One of the best aspects of last year, his inaugural season, is how the regeneration process left him shifting and finding himself. He seems to have settled down somewhat, an established alien air with a wonderful eccentricity. While science-fiction and in some ways regarded as a show aimed at children, Capaldi really does take every opportunity to show off his acting talents.
What else was great? “Hand Mines,” the Star Wars-esque cantina, classic Daleks (including the Special Weapons Dalek!), guitar solos (Capaldi himself apparently), and a hell of a dark streak. The seed planted is the Doctor’s confession, an artifact that will open upon his death. What is revealed? I’m sure by the end of the season we’ll find out. What I do admire about the Moffat era is that the show really does embrace its history. If you have seen the classic series the whisper of “Davros” at the open creates an unbelievable chill. The story is engaging enough if you’re only familiar with “Nu-Who,” but damn the show is surely going to be making some of those viewers take the time to look back at some of the classic series.
Of course it all looks terrible at the end. Everybody and the TARDIS has been exterminated, The Doctor is trapped in a room with Davros. But we know he’ll figure it out, right? If it ends this bleakly in the season opener, who knows how dark this season will get.
Make no doubts about it, this is a fine start to the season. Doctor Who is at its best when it draws on its legacy and melds it with a fresh exciting take. Capaldi and Coleman own their roles, and Gomez is a wonderfully unhinged addition to the main cast. With such a dark and foreboding beginning this should be a fascinating season for the good Doctor.
